Community and courage: fighting domestic violence in Clinton and Shiawassee Counties

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY, Mich. (WILX) - October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on an issue that often stays hidden.

For Bancroft resident Emily Thomas, it’s personal. “It means a lot because there’s so much that goes into it that a lot of people don’t see,” she said.

Thomas describes herself as once being a social butterfly, but domestic violence nearly destroyed that part of her life. “To be fully frontal, they 100% saved my life,” she added, crediting SafeCenter for helping her after her abuse.

SafeCenter Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Clinton and Shiawassee Counties serves roughly 350 people each year with emergency shelter, a 24-hour hotline, counseling and advocacy. CEO Hannah Gottschalk explains that domestic violence can take many forms